An activity to clear strong emotion

Clearing Emotions

It can be hugely challenging when strong emotions arise. Maybe we are going through difficult life events, maybe old memories are being triggered, or maybe it’s both. In other newsletters, we have explored the importance of facing and understanding old feelings. In this series of 3 newsletters, we will focus on practical tools to help us release them forever.

2. Write

Writing down how we feel is a powerful way to release old emotions. By putting our feelings into words on a page, we consciously ‘see’ them more clearly for what they are and get some distance from them at the same time.

Many people call this journalling. I think of writing in a journal as recording thoughts, feelings, and ideas we want to keep.

So instead, I call this ‘fire pit writing.’ This is writing on paper that you eventually can burn. How cathartic is that!

Here’s how to go about it. Set your timer for 10 minutes, then choose one emotion you are feeling, perhaps the strongest one. Write any words that come to you without censorship. Brainstorm, purge, let the emotional words flow without worrying about grammar, spelling, punctuation.

Remember, nobody else reads this; it ends up in the fire.

Allow your writing to go where it needs. Your subconscious will express things that may surprise you, as you ‘vomit’ out the feelings stored inside.

There are times when I have got halfway down the page and written nothing but "f… you" over and over. Don’t sanitise anything; your process here is letting your mind and body release old emotions onto the page.

Pause after the timer sounds. Notice how you are feeling. Once may be enough, or you may wish to repeat this as often as you like. More may need expression on the same emotional theme, or other emotions might need attention.

I might glance over what I’ve written, but prefer to let the process be enough. Remember, our goal is not to keep these chemicals but to let them go forever.